Sonification sandbox: A graphical toolkit for auditory graphs

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Abstract

Motivated by the need for a multi-platform, multipurpose toolkit for sonifying data, the Sonification Sandbox allows users to map data to multiple auditory parameters and add context using a graphical interface. The Sonification Sandbox is a cross-platform application authored in Java, using the Java Sound API to generate MIDI output. The software allows users to independently map several data sets to timbre, pitch, volume, and pan, with full control over the default, minimum, maximum, and polarity for each attribute. It is also possible to add context to the sonification using a percussive ``click track'' or a constant, repeating, or notifying tone at the minimum, maximum, or mean of a given set of data. Applications for the Sonification Sandbox include auditory display for the blind, science and mathematics education, data exploration, and experimenting with the effectiveness of various sonification techniques and parameters.